The Izmirlian Legacy

The Izmirlian Foundation was established in 1990 by Dikran Izmirlian in honor of his parents, Sarkis and Marie Izmirlian, and the Armenian heritage that shaped their family. Its purpose was simple but enduring: “helping to preserve a nation.”

Armenian Origins

Dikran’s father, Sarkis Avedis Izmirlian, was born in Kayseri, historically known to Armenians as Gessaria, in 1880. Amid growing persecution of Armenian families, he left for Cairo at the age of 18 to live with relatives. He would never see his parents again.

After several years in Egypt, Sarkis moved to Sudan in search of greater opportunity. In Khartoum, a chance encounter with an Armenian merchant provided him with support and helped him take his first steps in business. Beginning modestly as a trader, he eventually built a successful enterprise spanning commerce, agriculture, exports, and industry.

That early act of solidarity remained with him and became a lesson passed down through the family: Armenians have a responsibility to support one another, wherever circumstances may take them.

Dikran’s mother, Marie Kurkjian, was born around 1890 in Arabkir. After completing her education at Robert College in Constantinople, she joined her family in Sudan. She and Sarkis married in Khartoum in 1914 and raised five children, whom they educated abroad. Together, they ensured that, although the family increasingly lived and studied across different countries, it retained a strong Armenian identity and an enduring connection to its heritage.

A Family Rebuilt Across Borders

Following Sarkis’s death in 1966 and the nationalisation of the family businesses in Sudan in 1969, Dikran moved to Switzerland, where he rebuilt and established his own business. Marie later moved to France, where she passed away in 1974.

The family’s history was shaped by displacement, adaptation, and enterprise. It was also shaped by the enduring support Armenians offered one another and by a shared conviction that success carried with it a responsibility to help others.

Reflecting on his parents’ lives and his own experience, Dikran Izmirlian often spoke of two principles that had shaped his understanding of Armenian identity:

• First, Armenians help other Armenians wherever they may be.
• Second, though Armenians may be dispersed across the world, their connection to Armenia endures, carrying with it a responsibility to contribute to its future.

From Heritage to Purpose

In 1990, Dikran gave institutional expression to these principles by establishing the Izmirlian Foundation in honor of his parents.

The Foundation’s mission, “helping to preserve a nation,” reflected his belief that Armenian identity is not defined only by memory or heritage. It also carries a responsibility to strengthen Armenia, support its people, and contribute to the country’s long-term future.

These principles have guided the Foundation since its establishment. Through initiatives in healthcare, education, social welfare, economic development, innovation, and the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage, the Foundation has sought to translate an inherited sense of responsibility into meaningful and lasting service.

A Legacy Carried Forward

Today, a new generation of the Izmirlian family continues this legacy and its commitment to Armenia.

At present, Sarkis Dikran Izmirlian leads the Foundation and serves as Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. (View Bio — Sarkis Dikran IzmirlianSarkis Dikran Izmirlian is a long-term global investor with more than three decades of experience building, operating, and overseeing diversified investments across the United States, Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. His investment activities span multiple sectors, including real estate investment and development, commodities trading and processing, agricultural equipment manufacturing, technology, and financial services.Mr. Izmirlian serves as Chief Executive Officer of many of the businesses in which he invests, where he is directly responsible for defining value-creation strategies and overseeing their execution. His real estate investments have included agricultural land in Argentina and Eastern Europe; shopping centers and industrial parks in the United States; major commercial office assets such as More London, a 13-acre, three-million-square-foot office complex fronting the River Thames adjacent to Tower Bridge; and landmark hospitality projects including the Hilton London Tower Bridge, Baha Mar in The Bahamas, and the highly acclaimed AREV in Saint-Tropez. His current focus includes the development of large-scale mixed-use projects in the Wynwood district of Miami, Florida, as well as significant agricultural initiatives in Armenia.Mr. Izmirlian began his professional career at J.P. Morgan, where he developed a rigorous foundation in global investment analysis, capital allocation, and long-term value creation. He subsequently joined the Izmirlian Group of global businesses - founded in 1902 - progressing through the organization before ultimately succeeding his father in leading the group’s overall investment strategy and management.In parallel with his business activities, Mr. Izmirlian is deeply committed to philanthropy and education. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and is Chair of the Board of the Izmirlian Foundation, established in 1990, a family charitable organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of Armenia, the Izmirlian family’s ancestral homeland. The Foundation’s work focuses on education, healthcare, economic development, and technology-driven innovation.Reflecting his longstanding commitment to education, Mr. Izmirlian serves on the Board of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut.Mr. Izmirlian holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Finance and International Business from Georgetown University and is a graduate of The Taft School. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Yerevan State University.)

What began with one Armenian extending a hand to another in Khartoum has grown into a multigenerational commitment to the Armenian people. Through the Izmirlian Foundation, that inheritance is carried forward by investing in Armenia’s people, institutions, and long-term future, with the enduring aspiration of helping to build a prosperous and peaceful country.